INK3D Meets Cinema Bizarre
by SayaLeigh-moved
Summary: NEW VERSION  New all-girl band, INK3D, finally meets the band that inspired the group-Cinema Bizarre.  However, life is always changing.  When relationships form, things seem perfect.  But wait-everyone has somewhere else to be. Warning: Otaku-ness ahead
1. Forever or Never

**A/N: **This is basically an updated version of Mayonaka Soñodora, but it has a new story lin and should have shorter chapters. Hope you enjoy!  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Cinema Bizarre or any of the music or shows mentioned in this.  
><strong>~*~<strong>  
>We weren't exactly a novelty in our town, but we were unusual. As far as I knew, there were only a couple bands in our area that had gained any recognition. Some of our stuff was already on the local radio stations, much to my surprise.<p>"<em>Tik tok on the clock, but the party don't stop, no.<em>.."  
>Music blasted from the stereo as we spun around my basement, drowning out all thought. It was our last night in town and we were supposed to be getting ready for a farewell concert, held out in the park behind the house I'd lived in before moving to Oklahoma; it hadn't sold, so we could still use it while I was around.<br>Our equipment, everything from lights to our instruments, was already waiting for us out on the basketball court. Bachiko and I had already warmed up and were now singing along to the Ke$ha CD that was playing loudly enough to make our skulls vibrate. Bottles of Powerade and Monster were waiting for us in case of dehydration. As it was, half-finished cans of Red Bull were already scattered across the table.  
>Ai's hair was dark this month, and there were blonde streaks in her bangs. Over a black tanktop she wore a loose, hot pink belly shirt. Her black skinny jeans were covered from the knee down by high-tops decorated with pink and silver stars.<br>Bachiko wore her medium-length brown hair in pigtails tied with blue ribbons that matched her bright cerulean eyeshadow. She also wore a grey vest with blotched of neon colors over a bright yellow t-shirt and black cami. A pair of grey skinny jeans and customized yellow high-tops completed the outfit.  
>Cho wore her hair in a ponytail with ice-blue extensions clipped in. She had on a white t-shirt with a big blue rose on it and blue denim shorts over black leggings.<br>Fuji's soft, light brown hair was simply pulled back with bobbi pins and colorful temporary dye streaked the front white and dark green. She wore a dark green tanktop and black jeans with lime green-and-black striped arm warmers. On her feet she wore black flats with silver stars on the sides.  
>I had done up my hair like <em>Death Note<em>'s Misa Amane and tied it with red ribbons. I was wearing an old _Labyrinth_ t-shirt, black leggings, and a red plaid skirt with a pair of old, beat-up black Converse. A worn _Code Geass_ necklace was fastened around my neck and somewhere I had found a tube or red lipstick to use.  
>The summer air was just beginning to cool as we headed out and I took my place at one of the microphones near the front of the makeshift stage. Bachiko stepped up the the other while Ai and Cho moved to the wings and Fuji sat at the drum set.<br>"Hey! Hey you! Over there!" Bachiko called, pointed out into the surprisingly large crowd.  
>"Me?" asked several voices.<br>"Sure, whatever. Do you like tacos?" she asked.  
>There was a loud roar of responses and laughter in which not a single answer could be distinguished. I waved it away, laughing, and said into the mic, "Okay, okay. Now that we've established that, why don't we move on to something more important?"<br>"Tacos are important!" Bachiko protested, causing another ripple of laughter. I stuck my tongue out at her, but Ai, Cho, and Fuji began to play before I could retort.  
>I could hear Fuji's sticks tapping the skin of the drums powerfully, keeping the beat. She always was one to underestimate her talent. Ai and Cho played the same series of notes and octave apart. Bachiko's pretty alto voice began to hum, and I listened closely for my entrance.<br>"_Inflicted by the past, your touch returns to haunt me._.."  
>After "Kuro Tenshi, Gin Kago," we played our way through five other songs-"Midnight Dreamers," "Never There," "Voices In the Head," "Don't Wanna Be Romeo and Juliet," and our cover of Rise Against's "Ready to Fall."<br>As we played, lights roved across the stage, bathing us in a multitude of color. Blue and pink lights flashed over Ai's head as she concentrated on her cherry red electric guitar. On the other side of the stage, blue and yellow lights painted Cho's tense, focused figure. Fuji was swamped by the yellow and green lights in the back, and red and orange lights played over me and Bachiko.  
>As Ai played the last chords of "Never There," deafening applause started up. We looked around at each other, surprised. Whatever reaction we had expected, it wasn't this. In fact, I had anticipated only a smattering of applause. Nevertheless, broad smiles crept over our faces. This had to be the best way to end our last night in this town.<p>

"Saya! Saya, get your lazy ass up!" a not-particularly-cheerful voice hissed loudly, waking me up. It was Fuji, shaking my shoulder to wake me. On the other side of Cho's large bed, Cho herself was trying creative methods to wake Bachiko...who in return simply groaned and rolled over. Knowing Fuji would try more drastic measures if I didn't follow her instructions, I rolled off the bed and onto the floor.  
>"Ow..." I grumbled, hoping the thump hadn't been too loud. I immediately yawned loudly, still somewhat under the effects of yet another knock-out pill. It would wear off sufficiently soon enough, but for now I would need my music.<br>I finally found one of my iPods just as Bachiko rolled over and threw my pillow at her attacker. I hit play and headed over to help as Cinema Bizarre's "Forever or Never" filled my ears.  
>"Mmrf groff mmf."<br>Those were Bachiko's oh-so-intelligent words as I tried to rouse her. Like the attempts of the bassist, it had no effect. Trying a new tactic, I sat on her stomach, careful not to injure her. Her eyes flew open as her breath escaped her.  
>"Get off!" she choked out, pushing at me.<br>"Nice to see you awake," I replied with a congenial smile, rolling off. Bachiko struggled into a sitting position, glared at me. "For a stick person, you're heavy," she complained.  
>I just shrugged and chucked a pillow at Ai's head, nearly invisible under a tangled mass of what was occasionally known as hair.<br>We all changed quickly once we were fully awake, eager to fulfill our dream of waking up Jim-Ai's bitchy neighbor. Giggling as quietly as we could manage, we stole out of Cho's house into e cool pre-dawn air. I shivered and pulled on my jacket at the last minute, glad I thought to grab it though it reminded me of the ex-boyfriend I'd stolen it from-I mean, forgotten to give it back to.  
>We all piled into Cho's jeep, into which all our noisemaking equipment was already packed. Ai, Cho, and Fuji crammed themselves into the front seat while Bachiko and I squeezed into the back with our Seattle-bound luggage. Driving a little more quickly than we normally would have if the streets had their usual traffic, we made good time to the gas station down the street from Ai and Bachiko's houses.<br>"We should get some donuts," Bachiko piped up suddenly.  
>Cho and I laughed at the randomness of the comment.<br>"On the way back," Ai replied with an amused smile, turning away from the gas station and into their neighborhood.  
>"Fine," Bachiko retorted grumpily. Moments later, Ai pulled up in front of her house and the five of us quickly tumbled from the vehicle.<br>Ai ran into the house to return her house key to her parents and to wake them up. That was the deal; we could wake up Jim as rudely as we wanted, provided that we woke and warned them first.  
>From the back of the jeep, Cho pulled two air horns, Fuji's cymbals, an old, green plastic recorder, and a whistle. Fuji took the cymbals, I took my recorder, and Bachiko snatched the whistle, leaving Ai and Cho with the air horns.<br>"Fuck-shit-dammit!" Cho hissed in quick succession as the horn slipped from her fingers, hitting the ground with a short squeak. We held our breaths, but there was no response.  
>Ai returned then, accompanied by her brother and his best friend. She took the other air horn and we lined up at the edge of the property.<br>"Hey Jim, get your fat ass up!" Jon yelled, rude as usual. Ai and Cho quickly joined in with the air horns, holding them away from our group. Soon after, cymbals flanged, the recorder squealed, and the whistle howled. All dogs within hearing distance erupted as well.  
>It wasn't long before Jim himself thrust his head out his upstairs window. "What the he'll do you brats think you're doing!" he roared at us.<br>Only the dogs were still making noise. Al around the cull-de-sac, there were lighted windows and angry faces. All seven of us had gone completely silent, composing our faces to look as innocent as possible.  
>While Mike and Jon remained silent, the five of us said in unison, "You said you needed to get up at four, Jim. You are-" we all pretended to check watches we didn't have, "-two minutes late."<br>Jim could only stare at us, dumbfounded. Then, without a word, he retreated back into his house. We all erupted into giggles and waved to Jon and Mike as they left us.  
>As we returned the equipment to e car, waiting for Jim to return, I check my phone. To my surprise, I saw we'd actually been right about the time.<br>We pulled blankets from the jeep and spread them out on the lawn in a half-circle facing Jim's driveway. We sat cross-legged on them and just talked, still waiting for the garage door to open.  
>When it finally did, we fell silent. Jim pulled out with the window of his car rolled down as if to yell at us...again.<br>"Good morning, Jim." Our monotone voices rose in unison, and, judging by the look on his face, Jim rethought his course of action. Without saying anything, he backed from the driveway and drove away.  
>Laughing again, we jumped back into the jeep and sped away.<br>Bachiko stopped suddenly as she climbed out of the jeep, now back in from of Cho's monstrous house with weak dawn light streaming down on us. After almost running into her, I paused to see what she would say.  
>"We never got any donuts."<br>Cho rolled her eyes. "We'll get some on the way out of town," she promised.  
>"We'd better," Bachiko huffed. I chuckled and pushed her out of my way.<br>Hurrying back upstairs, we dressed for a day of traveling. Luckily our bags were already packed and loaded into the two vehicles we were taking to Seattle, Cho's jeep and my Civic.  
>Ai wore her dark, highlighted hair in a high ponytail and had outlined her eyes in a soft purple. She wore a purple tanktop to match and light-wash denim shorts. After debating for a moment, she put her high-tops back on.<br>Bachiko wore a bright blue v-neck t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her brown hair was held in a low ponytail and she had stolen my lime-green eyeshadow-or Ai's, I really wasn't sure. She wore an old pair of pink flip-flops that showed off her toenails, painted bright orange.  
>Cho wore a low-cut green tanktop and tight-fitting denim jeans. She left her long, layered, dirty blonde hair down and brushed forest green eyeshadow across her eyelids. She slid her feet into a pair of tall brown boots and left the room to find something for us to eat.<br>Fuji dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt. She brushed out her short, shiny hair and put on a pair of dark green Converse. She let Ai do her makeup and ended up with pale blue eyeshadow and teal eyeliner.  
>I put on a black tanktop and covered it with a dark grey half-jacket. Wi it I wore a pair of dark grey jeans that matched the jacket, and I tied the old Converse on my feet again. I pulled my long, dark hair into low pigtails, but, being too tired to bother with my appearance much more, I simply outlined my eyes in black.<br>When Cho returned, she was carrying a box of strawberry Pop-Tarts and a jar of peanut butter. I took a pack of Pop-Tarts but made a face when offered the peanut butter. The others shook their heads at me and attacked the food.  
>We finished our breakfast about ten minutes later, said goodbye to Cho's mom and sisters, and headed out to our vehicles. I climbed into my old blue Honda, passed down by my mom a few years ago. Ai slid into the passenger seat and hit the stereo as we followed the jeep out of the driveway. I had a Marilyn Manson CD in, and I couldn't resist tapping my left foot as "Putting Holes in Happiness" started.<br>After a while, we stopped at a gas station to fill up and get Bachiko's donuts. After that we drove wit communication until noon, when we stopped for lunch. Ai and I went through multiple CDs in multiple languages, talking almost nonstop as if we had no brain-to-mouth filter. In the back of the parking lot, I parked beside Cho and shut off the car, stopping "Reiketsu Nariseba" on my old Dir en Grey album.  
>We joined the others by the front doors, amused to see that they were all yawning and stretching like we were. As much as we all looked forward to trips to Seattle, the long drive was always a buzzkill. At least there was a furnished hotel waiting for us.<br>We ate a quick lunch, eager to get back on the road. It would have gone by faster, but, like most girls, we were big talkers.  
>"Did you talk to that guy? The one who's interested in our stuff?" Ai asked Cho, who nodded.<br>"Wmeenimntnsdy," she answered through a mouthful of burger. We all stared at her with blank expressions until she swallowed.  
>"We meet him on Tuesday," she repeated clearly.<br>We nodded in understanding and went back to trying to inhale our food, more eager than ever to get to Seattle.  
>About half an hour later, we were back on the road. Dir en Grey was blasting from my speakers again. We didn't stop until we reached Wenatchee, Washington, a town Bachiko preferred to call "We Naughty." I turned off "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance with the car. Grabbing our duffel bags from the back, Ai and I hopped out of the car and met Bachiko at the from doors. Cho and Fuji were already inside, getting the keys to our suite.<br>We joined them and headed up to the room. It was spacious and homey, just like a suite was supposed to be. There were two queen-sized beds in a room off to the left and a pull-out couch in the main room. There was also a kitchen on the right and a bathroom on the left by the door.  
>"We should get some more donuts," Bachiko stated as we surveyed the room in silence. We all turned to stare at her.<br>"Please don't tell me you've already finished off the ones we got this morning," Cho pleaded in a half-groan.  
>Giving us all a huge grin, Bachiko nodded. We sighed collectively.<br>"Fuji and I'll go get some food and stuff. You guys can get set up. I call sharing a bed with Saya!" Ai rambled, turning to go.  
>"Why not me? Or anyone else?" Bachiko whined.<br>"Saya doesn't kick or hog the bed," Ai explained almost condescendingly, walking out with Fuji following.  
>I picked up their bags from beside the door, taking them into the bedroom and tossing each on a separate bed. I tossed my bag on the bed with Ai's and headed back to the main room.<br>"I call the couch-bed-thingy!" Bachiko announced, throwing her bag at it. It landed about a foot short and she frowned at it as if expecting it to levitate itself onto the couch.  
>"Okay, but I call sitting on you to watch TV," I teased. Bachiko stuck her tongue out at me in response, making both me and Cho laugh at her.<br>Bachiko and I were settled in front of the TV watching _Bones_ when Ai and Fuji returned. Cho was in the bedroom, typing up a story and listening to music. All three of us had already changed into pajamas.  
>As Ai approached us, she held up boxes of Chinese takeout in celebration. Bachiko and I immediately burst into cheers, drawing Cho's attention. We pulled up a table in front of the pull-out bed and settled ourselves around it.<br>Ai spread the food out in front of us with chopsticks while Fuji passed out one liter bottles of everyone's favorite sodas: Mountain Dew for Ai, Sunkist for me, Dr. Pepper for Cho, cherry Pepsi for Bachiko, and Diet Sunkist for herself.  
>Bachiko and I were to turn off <em>Bones<em> in favor of _The Proposal_, seeing as we had already seen every episode. "Superhero in the Alley" may have been one of our favorite episodes, but I had them all on DVD anyway. By the time the movie ended, we were all full and sleepy but still laughing hard.  
>Later, when we were all in bed, we heard Bachiko's voice from the main room singing, "From the window, to the wall, the sweat drips down my balls!"<br>The last thing I remember of that night was the whole suite erupting into laughter again.  
>BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!<br>"Gah! Shut that thing up!"  
>BAM.<br>The alarm clock, Bachiko's voice, and Fuji's fist pummeling said alarm clock were the first things I heard the next morning. I pushed myself up lazily, yawning and looking around. I could see Bachiko sitting up in her bed too, her hair sticking up at odd angles. The sight caused me to burst out laughing, which in turn brought about the realization that my ribs still hurt like he'll from the night before.  
>Beside me, Ai merely rolled over. It proved to be just a little too far, and I watched her slide off the bed and hit the floor with a painful-sounding <em>whump!<em>  
>"Ow," she groaned.<br>"Morning," I replied with false cheeriness.  
>Fuji walked out of the room and to the bathroom with her bag slung over one shoulder, grumbling complaints about mornings. Cho sat up with a yawn, then rolled over to Fuji's side of the bed to grab her Dr. Pepper from the nightstand. Bachiko grabbed on of the takeout boxes and rooted through it with a pair of chopsticks. Ai stood up from the floor and joined her, picking up her Mountain Dew on the way. I waited till Fuji emerged, then went to shower and change.<br>An hour later, we were finally ready. Ai wore a bright blue tanktop and matching eyeshadow. She wore her high-tops with a light-wash denim skirt and navy leggings. An old dinosaur wristband, surprisingly still intact, was around one wrist. The front of her multi-toned hair was pulled back to reveal more of her face.  
>Bachiko had her hair up in pigtails again today. She wore a loose grey t-shirt of mine over a hot pink tanktop and hot pink skinny jeans, probably stolen from Ai. Somewhere she found hot pink eyeshadow and brushed it lightly over her eyelids. Today she wore a pair of relatively new high-tops.<br>Cho wore a simple outfit, probably packed last-minute. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail hanging over a black HardNox t-shirt and plain denim blue jeans. On her feet were a pair of beat-up, old knockoff high-tops. There was a large blue and black pendant on a chain around her neck.  
>Fuji's outfit was also simple, but still flattered her slim body. She wore a dark purple tanktop, black shorts, and an old pair of black running shoes. She left her hair down again and outlined her eyes in purple eyeliner.<br>I decided to revert back to a more gothic-Lolita style for the day. I wore a black Escape the Fate t-shirt, a black-and-white tutu, and black-and-white striped tights with my knee-high combat boots. On each wrist I had a black-and-white checkered wristband. I added black eyeliner and white eyeshadow as a finishing touch.  
>"How much further do we have to go?" Bachiko asked when we were standing outside again, our bags all returned to the cars.<br>"We'll be there by mid-afternoon," Fuji informed her, stuffing the map.  
>Bachiko let out a sound of frustration and hopped up into the passenger seat of Cho's jeep. Cho herself was on the phone, presumably getting details from the guy at Cherry Tree. Ai and Ai leaned against the Honda, waiting for the others to get ready to leave.<br>"Can you believe we're finally on our way?" Ai asked. Her voice seemed distant and she gazed up at the cloudless blue sky over our heads. The atmosphere was peaceful as we sat there, the sun caressing our faces and the painted-blue metal of my car warming our backs.  
>"Took long enough," I grumbled, but then I laughed. The day-and this whole experience-was too incredible to spoil with a sour attitude.<br>"Okay. Like I said, we have a meeting with this guy on Tuesday," Cho told us, slipping her phone back into her pocket.  
>"Gotta love YouTube," Ai commented, grinning.<br>"What's this guy's name?" Fuji asked, practical as usual.  
>"Robb Davis, AKA DJ Robb," Cho told her. She was grinning with barely suppressed excitement.<br>I smiled; her mood was infectious.  
>"Well, what are we waiting for? We'll have a lot to do when we get there," I announced, stepping around the car to slide into the driver's seat. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I shot a smile up at my good luck charm. The little Hanatarou Yamada cell phone charm smiled back at me, looking as excited as I felt.<p>

Around three that afternoon, we pulled into the parking lot of our hotel. Cho let Fuji and Bachiko out of the jeep to check in while we parked. Thanks to my dad's insistence on using the Internet to get the best deals possible, we quickly obtained the keys to our suite and headed up with our luggage.  
>"Dude, this place is huge!" Cho announced happily, turning in a slow circle in the center of the room.<br>"We thought Bachiko might need a little more space for the mess she usually makes," I teased, poking the other singer with my index finger.  
>"Yeah, it's not easy making a huge mess in a small room," Bachiko informed us with a less-than-innocent grin.<br>Ai looked from Bachiko's mischievous expression to the duffel bag in her hand and back again.  
>"I don't even want to know how you'll manage that," she said finally, turning her back.<br>Just like the night before, Ai and I dropped our bags on the same bed. Cho and Fuji took the other while Bachiko hogged the couch. We changed out of our traveling clothes and regrouped to make dinner plans.  
>"Um, Saya? Why do you look like you're going to make a speech or something?" Ai asked, looking over my outfit.<br>I looked down at my blue pinstriped button-down and black slacks combo and shrugged.  
>"I was in a Sanji mood," I told her, as if that explained everything. She rolled her eyes but grinned at the <em>One Piece<em> reference.  
>"C'mon, Otaku, let's go eat," she chuckled, leading the way out of the room.<br>"I want Chinese," Bachiko piped up.  
>"We had Chinese last night," Cho reminded her, bopping her on the head.<br>I grinned. With company like this, Seattle was bound to be interesting.

We ended up at the Hurricane Café, a place we remembered our favorite band, Cinema Bizarre, recommending on Twitter a few years ago.  
>"Okay, so, DJ Robb wants us to play a few songs for him," Cho announced as she pushed her fries around on her plate.<br>"Two problems with that," I replied, trying to shove my hair back so it wouldn't fall into my food, "One, as long as we're in the hotel, I don't think they'd appreciate us practicing. Two, we shouldn't be spending time practicing because we still need to find a place to actually live. Did you check that real estate website I sent you the link to?"  
>For a moment, Cho just stared at me. Then she cracked a cheesy, sheepish grin. "I, um...might've forgotten about that," she admitted.<br>I facepalmed. Cho was great at taking care of details, but only if the task at hand interested her. Trying to get her to focus on housing details throughout the year had been like trying to teach a dog to speak English.  
>"Well, we've got a few songs memorized, right?" Bachiko butted in, trying to smooth over the moment.<br>"Yeah," Ai agreed, "We can just play 'Midnight Dreamers,' 'Voices In My Head,' and 'Don't Wanna be Romeo and Juliet."  
>"What if he wants to hear some new material?" Fuji asked seriously. Her brow was furrowed in thought as a fry hung, forgotten, from her fingertips.<br>I gnawed on my lip as I considered the songs we'd been working on lately.  
>"Well," I said finally, "As long as we let him know they're works in progress, we could probably play 'Run' and 'May the Next Girl Have It Better,' right?"<br>Ai nodded, grinning.  
>"Cross your toes," Fuji reminded us cheerfully, "This could lead to all different kinds of strange."<p>

The next few days passed in a flurry of inconveniences caused by tight living quarters, too many real estate listings to remember, and a vague memory of a _Bleach_ cosplayer. Tuesday morning must have dawned dark and drizzling; I wouldn't know because I was dead to the world until just after noon.  
>"<em>Just keep on trying, keep on flying, I will be the light<em>..."  
>My phone woke me suddenly with Shuntaro Okino's "Cloud Age Symphony," the opening theme song of the anime<em> Last Exile<em>. The song woke Ai too, and she promptly kicked me in the ribs.  
>"Turn it off, it's too damn early," she whined, burying her face into her pillow.<br>"It's not early," I grumbled, "In fact, we only have an hour before we're supposed to meet this DJ Robb guy." I looked around the room, only marginally surprised to find that we were the last ones to wake.  
>"I want to reschedule," Ai stated with a groan, rolling over and draping her arm over her eyes.<br>"Get your lazy ass up," I told her, though I felt equally reluctant as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed.  
>Twenty minutes later, we were all dressed and ready to go. We all wore jeans, jackets, Converse, and novelty t-shirts-Death Note for me, Charlie the Unicorn for Bachiko, Wonder Woman for Cho, Blood On the Dance Floor for Ai, and Keyboard Cat for Fuji. Still feeling sluggish, we left the hotel and took Cho's jeep to the Cherry Tree offices.<br>The moment we walked in, we were greeted by a man who looked only about five years older than us. He had dark olive skin and short black hair, and his dark eyes seemed to twinkle as he smiled at us.  
>"Hello, INK3D," he said, greeting us with an air of familiarity that left me feeling somewhere between welcomed and unnerved, "I'm DJ Robb."<br>As he led us back to a room in which we could play for him, I studied the paraphernalia hanging in the halls. There was a myriad of albums, awards, and signed photos. I couldn't help but feel a little impressed through all my nervous excitement.  
>"Alright, what've you got for me?" DJ Robb asked, rubbing his hands together as he faced us. I handed him a list as Ai and Cho tuned their guitars.<br>"_Close your eyes, begin to dream. Darkness comes, so try to sleep.._."  
>We played through our familiar songs flawlessly, which nearly eliminated the nervousness I'd felt before. Luckily I was able to keep the bubbly sense of levity under control, realizing that there were more unfamiliar songs to come. Ai began playing, and I glanced at Bachiko to see an eager, reassuring smile cross her lips. Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth.<br>"_Here I am again, left out in the cold._.."

"Well, I definitely think a promo concert is in order DJ Robb told us when we'd finished. His wide grin mirrored ours, which pleased me almost as much as his words. I couldn't really think; my head seemed full of what Bachiko might call "happy clouds."  
>A short, breathless laugh escaped me as we left the studio. I could feel a significant bounce in my step, though I resisted the urge to skip.<br>"I'm so glad she's not driving," I heard Fuji mutter from behind me.  
>Okay, maybe I do need a little more self-control.<p>

"Are you ready? Where's Bachiko? Where did Cho put the setlist? Has the sound check started yet?"  
>I crossed my eyes and pretended to faint under the impact of Ai's barrage of questions. She paced around the room we waited in, panting after firing off four questions in one breath. I was grateful for all her nervous activity though. If I hadn't been so amused by her antics, I might have been in the same situation.<br>"Chill, Ai," Cho sighed, looking slightly dizzy as she watched the guitarist pace a permanent right into the carpet, "Everything's on time and it's all going according to plan."  
>"Knock on wood," Fuji told her, the calm monotone betraying none of the apprehension I could see in her blue-grey eyes.<br>Cho complied, reaching over to tap the doorframe with her knuckles a few times. As if summoned, Bachiko suddenly slipped through the opening between the door and it's frame.  
>DJ Robb was behind her, looking slightly frazzled. I wondered what Bachiko had been up to, then realized I probably didn't want to know.<br>"Okay, time to go on. Ai, Cho, go on out there first. Go right into the first song; Saya, you can introduce everyone after that. Also-"  
>"Yeah, yeah, we know," Ai interrupted, waving her hand dismissively as she passed him, "Please the crowds, but don't go overboard with the publicity stunts just yet."<br>DJ Robb rolled his eyes but didn't contradict her. I shrugged apologetically as I passed him, and he returned the gesture with a small smile.  
>Then I was looking out at the stage. Blue lights swarmed across the smooth, worn boards and the excited, restless crowd. Ai and Cho looked like ghosts, adjusting their instruments over their shoulders while shrouded in fog from two large machines backstage. I readjusted my black skirt over my white-and-black striped tights, trying to push aside my anxiety. Finally, I stepped out through the fog cloud myself.<br>"_Summer days and summer dreams almost caused me to forget you..._" 


	2. Bang a Gong Get It On

**A/N:** I'm so sorry I didn't post this last week! I hate Christmas time; everything gets really busy and just kinda runs together. Anyway, to make up for not posting this last week and not being even close to done with the chapter I wanted to post yesterday, I'm posting this and a _One Piece_ (ZoSan) sonnet I wrote for my English class. What would I do without yaoi?  
>Also, is it just me, or does this story seem to have a ton of SayaXAi hints? I swear they're not intentional! And there's also a lot of<em> One Piece<em>, which is (obviously) my current obsession, though I'm still just barely getting into it (my experience consists mostly of ZoSan fanfiction).

* * *

><p>"Do you really think we're ready for that?" Cho asked DJ Robb a week later, her eyes sparking at the idea of INK3D putting out a debut album.<br>DJ Robb laughed. Without speaking, he held up a stack of papers: lists and contracts and whatever other paperwork was necessary to get this thing rolling.  
>Fuji took the stack and began scanning the pristine sheets. I leaned around Ai, who sat between us, and tried to make sense of the tiny black characters that appeared sideways from my angle.<br>"Is there anything you'd like besides this?" DJ Robb asked, smiling his usual bright smile, "Recommendations for anything? A meeting with someone we sponsor?"  
>Cho's eyes lit up, but Fuji looked wary.<br>"What's the catch?" the drummer asked, a hint of suspicion evident in her voice.  
>"We're just trying to give Cherry Tree a better chance of being the ones to sponsor your talent," he admitted with a shrug.<br>Fuji shrugged, accepting the explanation. Cho continued to fidget, obviously excited. As soon as the others fell silent, she blurted out, "Can you arrange for us to meet Cinema Bizarre?"  
>DJ Robb looked surprised; he obviously hadn't anticipated that reply.<br>"Cinema Bizarre?" he asked, "The German band?"  
>I nodded, suddenly interested. Cinema Bizarre had been my find, though Cho and Ai adored them as well. Bachiko liked to bash them constantly, but she acted that way towards everyone and actually did like their music. Fuji was neutral about the whole situation.<br>"I think I can arrange that," DJ Robb agreed, his grin sliding back into place.  
>As soon as we stepped out of the building, Ai and Cho began cheering. Bachiko tried to look disgusted, but she couldn't wipe the grin from her face. Fuji and I danced our way to the car, excited but still a little confused as to what had just happened. Was it really that easy?<p>

a few weeks later, we had settled into a large apartment and had even started recording the CD DJ Robb had proposed. Though boxes still littered the rooms and furniture was sparse, the place still had a homey feel to it, and the five of us were beginning to settle in and explore the area.  
>My mind was deep in the world of <em>Ultimo<em> when the doorbell rang, pulling me away from my haven. Grumbling, I marked my place and left the room.  
>By the time I could see the door, Cho had opened it to reveal DJ Robb on the other side. The producer sported a ridiculous mushroom hat and a cocky grin. Cho's voice was somewhat scathing as she commented on his choice of headgear, but he seemed unperturbed.<br>"What are you waiting for?" he called into the apartment, spotting me and Bachiko over Cho's shoulder, "I have a surprise for you guys!"  
>This brought Ai and Fuji from the kitchen, the former holding a spoon loaded with peanut butter and the latter shooting it dirty looks.<br>"What is it?" Ai asked, swiping her tongue across her treat.  
>DJ Robb rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you," he grumbled.<br>Somehow he managed to talk us out of the apartment and down to the studio. Having not planned to leave the house, we all wore sweatpants and t-shirts. I wondered what the surprise was, thinking back on the hectic week we'd had.  
>My question was answered the moment Ai pulled open Cherry Tree's door. Waiting in the lobby, looking as pristine and composed as always, sat a group of young men with multicolored hair and flashy clothing. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of Cinema Bizarre.<br>"You didn't tell us we'd be totally under dressed!" I heard Cho whispering murderously as I stared at the boys.  
>Strify stood up, brushing his blond bangs out of his crystalline blue eyes. His mouth curved into a smile that lit up his whole face, and I realized that every picture I'd seen of him was nothing compared to the real thing.<br>"Saya, right?" he asked in his lilting voice, addressing me.  
>I nodded, smiling as I tried to control my staring. What was I, a kid at the zoo?<br>"We heard you wanted to see us," Romeo remarked. He was smirking, and there was a note of cocky confidence in his voice.  
>"They did," Bachiko lied, pointing to the still-gaping bassist and guitarist, "I think you should go to Timbuktu and swim with Piranhas."<br>There were was a moment of silence as we all stared at her.  
>"Nooo commento," I said finally, imitating Midori from the <em>Loveless<em> anime.  
>Ai giggled and the tension around us broke. Our separate groups merged and became one. I felt almost giddy as I stood with them, only fighting off my excited grin by following the conversation Kiro had struck up after noticing my <em>Kingdom Hearts<em> t-shirt.  
>"Oi, do you guys have any plans for tonight?" Ai asked suddenly, raising her voice to be heard above the babble.<br>A hush suddenly descended as the boys mentally ran over their schedules and we shut up to hear their answers.  
>"Nope," Shin said after a minute.<br>"I think this is the only thing on the agenda all week," Strify told us with a grin.  
>"And you had to stop and think about it?" Bachiko asked incredulously, half-shouting, half-laughing, "Geez, how stupid are you?"<br>Ai bopped her over the head.

We ended up spending the entire day with them. The majority of it was spent at the mall, due to Ai and Strify's shopping addiction.  
>I was humming Katy Perry's "Circle the Drain" under my breath and flipping through a rack of clothes at Wet Seal when Ai suddenly barreled into me. She had a goofy grin on her lips and a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.<br>"Isn't this ninja?" she asked, using our term for all things fun and/or interesting. Under her breath she added, "He's watching you."  
>I turned to face her, surprised. She was looking at something over my shoulder. It must have been a person, because after a moment she ducked as if trying to hide behind me, despite the height difference.<br>"Who?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I watched her antics.  
>"Strify!" she hissed, peeking around me again.<br>I laughed. "Right. Let's go look at Rue 21," I told her.  
>She let me take her hand and lead her from the store. I was back to browsing when she finally spoke again.<br>"What happened? I thought you always like Strify," she commented, holding a blue shirt featuring pink sunglasses up against her torso.  
>I shrugged, studying a white shirt with panda features screen-printed across the front. Finally I replied, "Eh. I think I'll stick to yaoi for now."<br>She flashed me a bitter smile. "More of the effects of a dysfunctional family."  
>"Something like that," I replied, chuckling at the song reference.<br>"Hey! You jerks abandoned us with those jerks!"  
>Bachiko's voice interrupted us just then, effectively cutting off the conversation. I fixed a cheeky grin on my face and turned to see her pushing through the racks. Fuji, Shin, and Strify followed. I tried not to worry too much about Cho and whether she'd already made a move on Kiro.<br>"Saya," Bachiko whined when they reached us, "I wanna go check out Tokyo Lifestyle!"  
>I grinned excitedly, remembering the store I'd been looking forward to seeing but had somehow forgotten about. Ai cheered from beside me, and even Strify looked excited.<br>We were gone in a minute.

"I'm tired," Bachiko groaned into the couch when we finally got home that night. She had thrown herself over the back of the poor, innocent furnishing and was now speaking more to the cushions than her companions.  
>"It's your fault," Fuji reminded her, "you insisted on seeing the latest showing of<em> The Hunger Games<em>."  
>"I didn't mind," Ai chirped as Bachiko glared at the drummer over a lump in the couch fabric.<br>Ai and Cho had situated themselves between the boys-more specifically, next to Yu and Kiro. The two were both idols and celebrity crushes to our resident boy-crazy airheads, so of course Ai and Cho were thrilled to interact with them. Yu and Kiro didn't seem to mind the experience either.  
>Shin sat at the end, next to Bachiko. He seemed to enjoy her company, probably because her constant threats amused him.<br>I yawned. Leaving the others to continue their bickering, I went to bed.  
>"<em>Just keep on trying, keep on flying, I will be the light..<em>."  
>I was up fairly early the next morning. I went to the kitchen and and a cup of hot chocolate, my alternative to coffee. Sitting at the window in the rare stillness of the apartment, I watched the already-bustling street seven floors below and let my mind go blank.<br>I was still there when Ai appeared, stumbling and rubbing her eyes. Swirling the dregs of cocoa in the bottom of my mug, I watched her trudge towards the counter.  
>"The bed was cold," she explained, hugging her bare shoulders.<br>"My jacket's over there," I told her, nodding towards the couch.  
>As she retrieved it, I finally stood and put my mug in the sink. I turned on the stereo on the counter and gathered eggs, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and salt. The stereo began to play my old N*sync CD, <em>No Strings Attached<em>, as I began adding my ingredients together to make tamagoyaki.  
>Ai sat at the table, watching me work. Normally she cooked, since stoves seemed to have a collective grudge against me, but I'd finally learned to make a few Japanese dishes.<br>"I inviting them over," she remarked suddenly.  
>I looked up from the eggs I was rolling across the pan with a pair of cooking chopsticks.<br>"Cinema Bizarre?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I was right.  
>She nodded. I shot a smile as my stomach flipped. I refocused on the egg mixture, trying to control my excitement. I needed to be more careful-I was leaving at the end of the summer anyway.<br>After setting the tamagoyaki out to cool and set, I left the kitchen to change into jeans and a soft, heather grey t-shirt. The doorbell rang as I gathered my unruly curls into a loose ponytail, and I left Ai to answer it.  
>Strify, Kiro, and Shin stood on the other side. As usual, they looked fabulous and pulled-together. I frowned, wishing I could look that good without all the effort I'd have to put into it.<br>"Morning," I yawned, stepping aside to let them enter.  
>"Something smells good," Kiro commented, his cute little nose twitching as he sniffed the air.<br>"It should be ready by now," I told him, leaving to check the eggs.  
>"Where are Yu and Romeo?" I heard Ai ask as she stepped into the living room. There was a note of disappointment in her voice, but I could tell she was trying to hide it.<br>"They're on their way up," Shin told her, "Yu was worrying about his hair."  
>I snickered. I should've known they'd be more concerned about appearances than I was. Ai usually worried about my image for me.<br>"He's stupid like that sometimes. Worries about what the girls think," Strify said suddenly.  
>I looked up to see him leaning against the doorframe, watching me cut the rolls of tamagoyaki. I rolled my eyes and grinned, but a part of me wondered where he stood on that particular issue.<br>"Is that tamagoyaki?" he asked, coming over to examine the dish.  
>"Yeah. It's one of the few feats I can accomplish in the kitchen," I replied with a nod.<br>He laughed. Before he could reply, Bachiko tripped her way-literally-into the kitchen. She caught herself against the counter and pushed her tangled hair out of her eyes, and I could see that she was watching me hopefully.  
>"Food?"<br>I smiled and pushed a plate across the counter to her. She snatched it, picked up a piece of tamagoyaki, and shoved it into her mouth unceremoniously. I couldn't help but wince at the display.  
>"I've seen goats with more class than you," commented Cho, who had also appeared in the doorway.<br>"Correction," Bachiko retorted through a mouthful of egg, "You've seen _a_ goat with more class. Hoover."  
>Cho shrugged in agreement as I facepalmed at my friend's terrible lack of manners. I was suddenly mortified to know that Strify had been there to observe the whole unrefined spectacle. Then again, since when had I cared about convention?<br>_Shit_.  
>"Hey!" Kiro greeted cheerfully, popping up at Cho's side. He wrapped an arm around his fellow bassist and kissed her cheek in greeting. I watched as Cho blushed and grinned.<br>Grinning back, I grabbed my own plate and moved into the living room after offering another to Strify. He took it and followed me.  
>"This is good," Strify remarked as we perched on the couch.<br>"Why do you sound so surprised?" I asked, trying to sound miffed.  
>Apparently I succeeded, because Strify's eyes widened almost comically and he practically choked on his food.<br>I burst out laughing before he could swallow and apologize. The frantic concern quickly turned to embarrassed reproach, which only made me laugh harder.  
>"Sorry, sorry," I panted, "I couldn't resist."<br>I settled back into the couch and watched the colorful crowd scattered across the apartment. Part of me was still amazed that _Cinema Bizarre_ was actually here, and we were actually able to just hang out with them.  
>Cho and Kiro were still cuddling in the doorway separating the kitchen and the living room. From the former, I could hear Bachiko insulting them. Shin was nowhere in sight, but I could hear his voice join Bachiko's every now and again. Ai was talking to Romeo and Yu-mostly Yu-by the front door. As I watched, Fuji stumbled from the bedroom in pajama pants and an old high school band t-shirt.<br>"Morning, sleepy," Romeo said, smiling at her, "Shin brought that book you were asking about yesterday." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder to tell her where the other drummer was.  
>By that time I had finished my tamagoyaki, and I followed Fuji into the kitchen to put my plate in the sink.<br>"Ai invited them," I informed her in response to the questioning look she gave me. She nodded and wandered over to Shin and Bachiko.  
>I thought for a moment. I had been looking forward to spending the day reading all my new manga, but a sense of propriety urged me to rejoin the other singer.<br>Romeo was now leaning against the arm of the couch. The two seemed to be having a serious conversation, both watching the doorway Cho and Kiro were _still_ blocking. Strify broke off suddenly as I reappeared.  
>I pushed down my suspicions and flashed them a fake smile. I was suddenly wishing desperately that social situations were more my forte.<br>"Hey, Saya!"  
>Ai's voice stopped me as I crossed the room. I turned to see her with an arm around Yu's shoulders while his circled her waist.<br>"We're gonna go out for a while, 'kay?" she explained. I could see her trying to fight off a goofy, giddy grin.  
>I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and smiled instead. "Sure; just don't get lost."<br>"That's your job, shitty marimo," she sang as they slipped out.  
>"Scram, ero-cook!" I retorted, practically slamming the door behind them.<br>"_One Piece_?" I heard Kiro ask, surprised.  
>"Moves fast, doesn't he?" Strify asked as I finally settled next to him again.<br>I laughed sardonically. "So does she."


	3. Sad Day for Happiness

**A/N:** I know, I know, it's taken me forever to get this out! And it's sloppy...I think so, at least. Hopefully you can stick it out and the next chapter will be better! Gomen! *cheesy grin*

* * *

>"So," Fuji began, settling herself in front of me, "when is your orientation?"<br>I looked from _The Vampire Lestat_, which I was deeply engrossed in for the third time. I felt my stomach turn over, but tried not to show any outward signs of my discomfort.  
>Instead, I shrugged. "It's next week. I figured we could drive..."<br>I trailed off, even as Fuji nodded. I had been planning to go to UT for the last three years, but now that the time was approaching, my nervousness outweighed my excitement.  
>"Are all the details taken care of?" Fuji asked after a moment.<br>I thought over all the things I'd had to take care of over the last year. Finally I told her, "We should be good."  
>"And Cinema Bizarre?"<br>Another stomach flip. "You think they'd wanna go to some boring college orientation?"  
>I'd intended for my tone to be flippant, but my voice shook with the nervousness I was trying to hide. I felt slightly nauseous and wished I'd enjoyed the freedom from responsibility we'd had just a few years ago. Time flies, right?<br>Fuji was silent for a moment. "You should ask anyway," she admonished softly before leaving the room.  
>I set <em>Lestat<em> down and watched her walk away, frowning to myself.  
>Would the boys really want to take a road trip across the country just to hang out with us?<br>I shook my head and got up, pulling a dull grey suitcase, accented with a simple purple ribbon for identification, from under my bed. I'd ask, but I wasn't going to get my hopes up.

* * *

>My chance came later that evening. We sat around the TV as an oversized group, watching<em> The Hangover<em>. At least, watching the movie had been the idea. The search for "Doug" could barely be heard over all our chatter. I stared at the screen and thought about our so-called Dark Times, during which I'd first seen this movie with Cho. Of course, thinking of that particular time brought back the memory of Bachiko and I throwing shoes at Cho's boyfriend at the time, and I fell back to laughing and talking with the others.  
>"So, do you guys have anything coming up soon?" Strify asked. He was smiling pleasantly, but I felt my heart leap up into my throat anyway.<br>"Actually, we do..." I forced.  
>All eyes turned to me, and I felt heat rising in my cheeks. The boys looked expectant and curious. The lack of shock or accusation in their faces reassured my a bit.<br>"Yeah, um, we were all gonna drive down to my college orientation...in Tennessee..." I told them, resisting the urge to gnaw my lower lip nervously.  
>Now they looked surprised.<br>"I...Would...You guys can join us, if you want," I managed finally, trying to break the awkward silence that was forming.  
>Kiro's face lit up. "Really? It sounds like fun!" he announced.<br>Yu looked excited too, but wary. "How long will this take?" he asked.  
>"Just a couple days," Ai told him, beaming, "the driving will be the longest part. But it'll be fun too, right?" She looked expectantly at me.<br>I forced a smile, trying to ignore Strify's still-shocked expression. "Of course," I replied with false cheer, "Road trips are always fun. With good company, that is."  
>"We'll be back next Saturday," Fuji added, giving them the proposed timeline.<br>"Let's go!" Shin urged, looking around at the rest of his band. They agreed, though Strify still looked a little distant. I let out a barely audible sigh of relief.

* * *

>"College stuff?"<br>I turned, surprised, to see Strify in the doorway of the kitchen. His voice was unusually dull and bitter.  
>"Nah," I replied from where I sat at the counter, scribbling away in a notebook, "fanfiction."<br>His interest was obviously piqued. "For what?" he asked, coming over and leaning against the counter opposite me. The leather of his jacket whispered pleasantly against the coriander of the counter.  
>"This one's <em>Vampire Knight<em>," I told him, tucking a lock of hair behind one colored-rhinestone-studded ear.  
>"Kaname or Zero?" he asked, turning his head as if to get a better look at the black scribbles dominating the page in front of me.<br>"Akatsuki, actually," I replied, wondering if I should push the page over to him or pull it away, "and Hanabusa. There are two OCs."  
>He studied me for a moment. I stared back at him. The kitchen light buzzed over our heads, and my Funeral for a Friend album played from the stereo in the corner, but neither disrupted the atmosphere.<br>There was tension between us, but also curiosity and uncertainty. He was still stunned by my earlier announcement, for some reason. I was trying to figure out where I stood with him.  
>He leaned back and his golden hair fell into his sea-blue eyes, breaking the moment. I blushed faintly and turned my eye back to my paper, trying to pick up on the thread of my current scene.<br>"G'night, Saya," Strify murmured, leaving to join the other boys at the door as they left.  
>"Night," I whispered to the empty kitchen, well aware that he was already gone.<hr>Tennessee was much warmer than Washington at this time of the year. The July sunshine beat down on our group of ten as we lounged in a secluded Knoxville park. A river gurgled nearby, through a screen of bushes, but we ignored it. The cool green grass beneath us was just as welcome after the long car ride, and this way we didn't have to worry about resisting the current.  
>I pulled off my jacket, revealing the black floral-print tanktop underneath. Balling up the black cotton, I shoved it under my head and stretched out between Bachiko, who held the newest Tamora Pierce book over her head, and Strify, who was sitting up and looking disgruntled.<br>We had reached Knoxville with time to spare. The orientation would start the next morning, so this afternoon I was taking some time to get acquainted with the city-starting with the places I'd seen when I came to see the campus before applying.  
>"I like this place," Ai commented suddenly. She leaned against Yu, her fingers intertwined with his, staring at the weeds that his the water from us.<br>I smiled; I liked it too. It almost made the out-of-state tuition worthwhile-almost.  
>"Last time you were here, did you meet anyone else who was planning to come?" Fuji asked suddenly.<br>I must have gotten that deer-in-the-headlights look on my face, because Bachiko burst out laughing when she turned from her ceiling of pages to look at me. Fuji sighed.  
>"You don't even remember, do you?"<br>I shook my head sheepishly.  
>Cho rolled her eyes from where she lay, resting her head on Kiro's stomach. "Amazing," she grumbled, "You're not even a druggie."<br>I reached over Strify and thumped her leg with my fist, feeling my cheeks heat again.  
>Romeo chuckled and reached over to ruffle my hair. "It's hard to remember real people with all the anime characters up there," he teased.<br>I stuck my tongue out at him and batted his hand away. "Jerk," I complained, pulling my jacket with me as I curled around Strify.  
>The normally exuberant singer turned his head to glance down at me, wearing a sad, fake smile I'd seen on his face way too much lately. I returned it with a smile that was just as fake but harder to see through.<hr>The orientation started to go bad before the event itself actually started. I had just gotten my name tag and information from the current students manning the table when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see Ai, a sour expression twisting her features.  
>"Oi," she whispered, "we might need to keep a leash on that."<br>My gaze followed her pointing finger to Strify. He stood in the middle of the hall, hands in his pockets, talking to a group of girls. I couldn't see his face, but I could imagine hearts floating around them all. The girls' expressions were nauseatingly lovesick.  
>I resisted the urge to press my lips into a tight line, instead turning back to Ai with another fake smile. "I hope you brought one," I chirped, irritated by the bitterness that still lingered in my tone.<br>She rolled her eyes, seeing right through my Flowright-esque act. Yu appeared over her shoulder then, cutting off whatever advisory remark she might have made.  
>"Alright Fai, c'mon then," she sighed instead.<br>"Fai?" Yu asked. The Tsubasa reference was lost on him.  
>We collected Strify and headed into the auditorium. I tried to focus on all the details presented, byte the flirting singer next to me made it difficult. I recognized the tight feeling in my chest, but tried to ignore it while I could feel Ai watching me.<br>"Well, now we know how you'd deal with Sanji," she hissed, leaning over to speak into my ear.  
><em>Maybe, but I'd expect something like this from Sanji-kun<em>, I thought bitterly.  
>The behavior didn't stop at the end of the presentation. It didn't end when the last of the orientation events wrapped up. It continued through dinner and at every stop on the drive back from Memphis to Oklahoma City, where my parents and brother were living.<br>"Hey," my mom said simply as she met us at the door. She was grinning broadly as her eyes swept over the five familiar faces and the five she'd only seen pictures of.  
>"Hey," I returned, stepping forward to hug her. At the last minute I angled my head to look over her shoulder and scan the entry hall. Lowering my voice, I asked, "Is <em>it <em>home?"  
>I was referring to my father, and she knew it. Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Nope, he's working again. I took the day off to see you guys."<br>I smiled. I knew my brother would be out of the house, as always, so for now there would be no "pests."  
>"You remember these guys, right?" I asked, gesturing to the guys, "Kiro, Romeo, Strify, Yu, and Shin."<br>She greeted them and we all stepped into the house. Ai and Bachiko ran for the kitchen after saying their hellos, followed by Yu, Shin, and Kiro. Everyone else, other than me, followed my mom to the living room. I headed upstairs to check on the rest of my anime/manga/game collection.  
>"Geez, how long have you been collecting?" asked Strify's voice from my doorway after a few minutes.<br>I glanced over my shoulder to see him eying the nearly-full bookshelf, where I stood holding two volumes of _Shugo Chara!_ and a _Fruits Basket_ omnibus. I just shrugged, muttering, "Long enough."  
>He stepped closer, his eyes now fixed on the <em>Kingdom Hearts<em> and _Final Fantasy_ games stacked on the dresser. After a moment he asked, "How are you planning to keep this up in college?"  
>I smiled wryly. "I figured I'd just take a few and build on that when I have money. Ai and I have a manga section in our library already, so I don't think it'd be too hard to expand."<br>"Speaking of Ai," he began, sounding both urgent and hesitant at the same time, "how is this going to affect the band?"  
>I frowned, wondering why he was concerned. His eyes found mine; the skin around them was tight with worry. I sighed, giving up on trying to figure it out, and shrugged.<br>"I guess we'll work long-distance, or take a break."  
>Now he was frowning, and he looked hurt and angry. His voice was like hand sanitized on open wounds when he spoke.<br>"I'm glad you've put so much thought into it."  
>With that, he turned and walked out.<br>I stared down at Amu, her glossy gold eyes reflecting none of my confusion and slight hurt. 


	4. Dysfunctional Family

**A/N:** I know, it seems like I took forever to get this out...Writer's Block sucks, huh? Anyway, I have another problem: after I finish this, I'd like to write a multi-chapter shonen-ai (boyXboy) story, but I don't know which of 5 couples I want to write about yet...If you want to have a say, the poll is on my profile, 'kay?

* * *

><p>"No way," I said firmly, eying the bottle Ai held out to me with distrust.<p>

She pouted, but drew it back to herself. I sighed as she lifted the open bottle to her lips, gulping down a mouthful. Part of me wondered if Yu and Kiro had had a secret agenda when they agreed to buy alcohol.  
>"Aren't you gonna at least try to stop them?" Bachiko asked as she appeared at my side. She frowned at the small, impromptu party in our apartment. Supposedly it was to celebrate our return to Seattle, but it was obviously just and excuse for Ai and Cho to drink.<br>I raised an eyebrow at my companion. "Good luck with that," I told her simply, shrugging.  
>Bachiko continued to frown at the party, her arms crossed over her chest. The two of us were the only ones not drinking, which wasn't really a surprise. Instead, we turned on the TV and tried to drown them out with <em>Criminal Minds<em>.  
>Fuji joined us, occasionally sipping from her first bottle. She seemed a little bored and tired; I assumed the latter was from driving across the country over the last few days. I yawned as I thought about it, wondering if I dared to nap with a bunch of drinking fools in the house.<br>...Nope.  
>Before I knew it, Bachiko, Fuji, and I were three episodes into <em>Criminal Minds<em> and Cho, leaning against the couch behind us, was slurring something about talking in her sleep. Bachiko's eyes lit up as she realized the others' state of drunkenness, and I swore internally. I could practically see evil schemes forming in her mind.  
>"Bachiko? What are you thinking?" I asked in a quiet voice as Kiro sang through his hiccups in the background.<br>"Nothing..." she tried, her voice far too sing-song to be anywhere near innocent.  
>I gave her a hard look, and she burst out laughing.<br>Next to me, Fuji set her beer down. She was still on the first bottle and completely lucid. I raised and eyebrow at her, and she gestured to the drunk idiots behind us.  
>"They're doomed," she explained, "I don't want to join them."<br>I nodded, understanding, and turned back to Bachiko in time to see her sneaking around the couch. I sighed, sitting back to watch the show.  
>"Hey," I heard her hiss, "You should make pie."<br>Not what I'd expecting, but at this point I should know better than to expect anything.  
>Ai, whose childish nature was exaggerated by the alcohol in her system, was immediately intrigued.<br>"What kind?" Fuji prompted, resting her chin on top of her hands on the back of the couch.  
>Bachiko grinned at her, mischief written all over her face.<br>"The kind that kills the president."  
>Fuji groaned. I facepalmed. Ai looked confused while Cho looked curious.<br>"What kind of pie is that?" Strify asked before anyone sober enough to stop him could do so. His brow was furrowed in innocent confusion, and the intoxicated flush on his cheeks offset the blue of his eyes. My eyes widened as I took in the adorable image, but I quickly shook it off.  
>"The kind that I show you how to make, and you guys test it," Bachiko told them, an evil smirk playing across her features.<br>Fuji and I just sighed and let her lead the group into the kitchen. Bachiko may have been somewhat cruel and deceptive, but she wasn't actually homicidal.  
>...I think.<br>We decided we'd let her have her fun for now and break things up before anyone got hurt.  
>We'd gone through another episode of <em>Criminal Minds<em> and switched to _Family Guy_ before we even gave them another thought. Suddenly Strify stumbled into the room, distracting us. If possible, he was somehow even more drunk than when we'd last seen him. He tripped his way across the floor, landing heavily on the couch next to me and leaning against my shoulder.  
>Fuji took one look at us and snickered, hiding her mouth coyly with one hand. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," she teased, leaving the room with her bottle.<br>"No! Fuji! Don't leave me with this idiot!" I called after her. Normally it wouldn't bother me, but the reek of alcohol rising from the man next to me was making my stomach turn. My nervousness turned to panic when I finally looked at him, only to see a look of adoration softening his gaze.  
><em>Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no no no no. Shit!<em>  
>"Saya-chiiii," Strify slurred, turning his head so his chin rested on the ridge where my collarbone met my shoulder, "I've got-" a hiccup "-something to...to tell you."<br>"What?" I asked grumpily as I watched Stewie attempting to kill Lois, "That you're gay for Kiro?"  
>He giggled, prompting me to raise an eyebrow. "No," he managed to pant before bursting into another fit, "I love <em>you<em>."  
>I froze. No way. No way he said something so cheesy and out-of-character. Especially not with is girly, drunk personality of his.<br>I thought about getting up and just walking away from the mess before it got any worse, but before I could move he had latched onto my arm. His strength surprised me; I couldn't move.  
>"...love you..." he repeated sleepily, burrowing his face into my shoulder. Within minutes he was snoring softly, still clinging to my arm.<br>I stared at the bright colors of the TV screen, not comprehending the image. I was just trying to breathe.  
>Please <em>don't let him remember this<em>.

* * *

><p>I yawned loudly, tucking a loose lock of my dark hair behind one ear. Ai sat next to me, leaning against my shoulder as she held her head. Through bleary, sleep-deprived eyes, I watched a technician mess with the controls of the recording booth.<br>The equipment squealed, causing Ai to groan loudly.  
>"Whose brilliant idea was it to get shit-faced last night?" Strify asked grumpily from where he leaned against the wall, also holding his head.<br>Much the my relief, he hadn't been able to remember his drunken confession the night before. I'd finally fallen asleep on the couch, and we'd woken with me using his chest as a pillow. Recollection or no, it made the situation awkward. His teasing hadn't helped at all.  
>The next few hours had been a blur. DJ Robb had called, reminding us that we were supposed to start recording together today. Those of us who were awake and didn't have hangovers (meaning me, Bachiko, and Fuji) had rushed around for the next hour, struggling to wake those passed out in each room. The three of us dressed quickly, and Fuji stayed at the apartment to stuff Ai and Cho into their clothes while Bachiko and I took the boys back to their hotel and helped them change.<br>Now we were sitting in the studio, and more than half the group was nursing raging hangovers. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see DJ Robb continually rolling his eyes at us.  
>The drums were recorded first, followed by the guitar. By the time we finished with the bass and keyboard, I had been lightly dozing for hours. Luckily I was able to recover quickly, stepping into the booth to sing my part before Strify finished it up.<br>"_I can't sleep tonight, 'cause baby you're taking me over,_  
><em>Gotta go out, try to see you again,<em>  
><em>My heart's pounding, my head's spinning,<em>  
><em>Come find me in the crowd tonight<em>."  
>I paused for a beat; I knew it would be edited later to add in the second verse, which was Strify's. My next task was the chorus.<br>"_Take my hand,_  
><em>Take my heart,<em>  
><em>Spin me round,<em>  
><em>We're going down,<em>  
><em>And now I've found you and it's you and me from this point on<em>."

* * *

><p>Click-click. Click-click. Click-click. Sigh.<br>I stared dully at the notebook paper in front of me. It was frustrating. No matter what I tried, Akatsuki just _did not_ want to cooperate. I hated it when characters decided to be difficult. Usually, it led to general irritation and a myriad of unrelated plot bunnies.  
>As I scowled at said vampire's name, scrawled across the page in black ink, Kiro strolled into the kitchen alone. I raised an eyebrow at him, watching him make himself at home with a package of poptarts and a can of Pepsi. He was dressed in black jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt, looking impossibly casual and sexy at the same time.<br>"Whatcha working on?" he asked with a cute, innocent smile.  
>I scowled, not in the mood for cute after my internal battle with the young, fire-wielding vamp. "Trying to tame a couple of pain-in-the-ass vampires," I told the bassist shortly.<br>He returned the statement with a blank expression, blinking in confusion. I sighed and leaned back in my seat, slapping my pen down on the page. For a moment, we just sat in silence.  
>"So...are you looking forward to the festival?" he finally asked, speaking around a mouthful of crumbling poptart.<br>I groaned, sliding further into the cushion below me. My writer's block had stolen my enthusiasm for just about everything. The very idea of standing before a group of screaming fans in a mood like this was less-than-encouraging, to say the least.  
>Kiro laughed nervously. "Ch-cheer up," he admonished.<br>I could feel my expression sharpen as my ears caught the stutter in his voice. My eyes ran over his face, picking up telltale wrinkles of nervousness. He was hiding something.  
>I crossed my arms over my chest, sitting upright in my chair again.<br>"Alright, spill it," I snapped, trying-in vain-to keep irritation from my voice, "What's bugging you?"  
>Kiro averted his eyes and sucked his lower lip between his teeth, gnawing on it. If I hadn't been on the receiving end of this evasive behavior, I might have melted from the sheer adorable-ness.<br>Finally, he sighed. "It's time for us to go home," he admitted softly, his voice strangely dull and emotionless, "After we perform the collab at the fair, that is."  
>Our eyes met. I was sure mine were a bay window into the hurt and surprise I felt, and his revealed disappointment and depression curtained by manufactured apathy.<p> 


	5. Touching & Kissing

**A/N: **I actually feel pretty good about this chapter. Turns out that the secret to alleviating my Writer's Block is to watch _Ouran High School Host Club_ while I write. Who knew?

Oh, and I'm posting this at ridiculously-early o'clock in the morning 'cause I'm going to be out of town this weekend (again), but that doesn't mean I won't be available at all.

* * *

><p>I sat backstage, apathetically sketching <em>Psyren<em>'s Yoshina and Oboro. My expression was neutral, much like my emotions. I kept my attention focused on the white and grey of paper and graphite in front of me.  
>I was already dressed for the show, waiting backstage. The fair was going on all around the building in which we were supposed to perform. Bachiko sat next to me, a well-read <em>Ouran High School Host Club<em> book propped open on her knee. She had tried not to show it, but an aura of gloom surrounded her as well.  
>"What are you guys up to?" Ai asked as she approached. Her cheery tone was forced, and her bright, '80s-style outfit reflected her attempts to seem blithe. She wore white skinny jeans, a purple tanktop, and a loose, lime green cropped tee. She'd finished the outfit with black boots and a high-set ponytail. Curled strands of blonde hair framed her face with its green eyeshadow and pink lip gloss.<br>I sat up, propping my chin on the heel of my hand and suppressing the urge to sigh. For a moment I just stared back at her, my tired eyes taking in the dark circles under her eyes and the haunted look lurking behind the smile that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes. From her silence, I could tell Bachiko was doing the same.  
>"I thought maybe a little shonen-ai could lighten the mood," I explained finally with a forced chuckle. I looked back down to where I was sketching a disinterested look on Oboro-kun's face.<br>"Well, hurry up," she chirped, patting me on the back, "We're on next."  
>I set the pencil down across the paper and stood up, brushing off the knee-length skirt of my bright blue, halter-top dress. I shrugged on a cropped jacket and stomped towards the stage, my combat boots thumping against the wood.<br>Bachiko stews and followed. She wore denim daisy dukes and an orange scoop-neck tee under an oversized, denim blue button-down. Like the rest of us, she wore bright eyeshadow (orange, in her case) and black boots.  
>As we stepped onstage with the Bizarre boys, I wondered if this psychedelic '80s'90s look was supposed to fool anyone. It wasn't working for me.  
>"Alright guys, I know you've all been waiting for this," Strify spoke into the microphone, his cheery facade holding up better than Ai's, "Here's our new song, '<em>Find You Tonight<em>.'"  
>I stepped up to the mic.<br>"_I can't sleep tonight, 'cause baby you're taking me over._.."

The performance went well, though I could feel my mood souring with each passing moment. I held my position on stage for a few minutes after we'd finished, waving and flashing my best fake smile. I honestly felt sorry for the crowd, having a group of halfhearted performers play for them. Could they tell?  
>I practically fled the stage as soon as it was acceptable. Behind the curtains, I leaned back against the wall. My arms were crossed over my chest, fists clenched. My breath came in short pants.<br>"Dammit," I hissed, trying to regain control of my emotional state.  
>"Saya? Are you okay?" Cho asked softly from right beside me.<br>I looked up at her, pushing my curled hair out of my face to her worried green eyes. I studied her outfit-a white t-shirt dress with a black belt over navy leggings and black boots-while I took another moment to catch my breath.  
>"Y-yeah," I replied shakily, "I'm fine."<br>She crossed her own arms, frowning at me. Her expression and stance said-quite clearly-"don't lie to me."  
>I waved. Her concern away with one hand and straightened up. Before I could walk away, she grabbed me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.<br>"Give it up, Saya," she murmured into my hair, "We're all gonna miss them."  
>"I'm not..." I started, but I quickly gave up and leaned into her shoulder. A few tears escaped my eyes, but I refused to break down completely. She wrapped her arms around me securely, comforting me.<br>"Cho?" I asked finally, my whisper hoarse.  
>"Hm?" she asked, her voice as soft as mine.<br>"He said...that he loves me..." I muttered into the white cotton of her dress.  
>She went still. "Strify?" she asked after a moment.<br>When I nodded, she asked, "When?"  
>"When you guys all got shit-faced," I replied, my light-hearted words contradicting my bitter tone.<br>I felt her tugging on my hair, straightening out the curls and letting them bounce back.  
>"What do you want to do about it?" she asked finally.<br>I thought for a moment. _What do I want to do? What should I do? _ Finally, I pulled away and wiped my eyes.  
>"I'll let it go," I told her decisively.<br>She nodded, though she didn't look convinced. As I turned away, I could see Strify and Ai behind her. They were whispering excitedly, and his eyes were on me. I swallowed hard and followed Bachiko out onto the fairgrounds.  
>"So, what should we do?" Bachiko asked, looking around.<br>I looked up from stuffing my _Psyren_ sketch into the _One Piece_ bag I carried. "I'ono," I replied, "Cotton candy?"  
>She shrugged and we headed off.<p>

"You're gonna catch a cold if you don't cover up," Ai told me as she passed though the living room.  
>I was stretched out on the couch, watching reruns of <em>Death Note<em> and _Durarara!_ while waiting for the others. Besides Bachiko and myself, Ai was the first one back.  
>"Feel sick," I grumbled to the guitarist.<br>"It's your fault," Bachiko told me from where she was curled in the armchair next to the couch, "How much cotton candy did you eat, anyway?"  
>I grinned at her. "Too much," I replied, "and don't forget the funnel cake or the sodas."<br>"You're hopeless," Ai sighed, "And so much like L." She watched said detective presenting theories as she spoke.  
>I shrugged, though having my back pressed against the cushions of the couch restricted the movement more than a little. Ai rolled her eyes and slumped down on the couch, landing heavily on my feet. I groaned but didn't move.<br>"It's gonna be weird when they're gone..." Ai murmured after a moment, her voice barely audible over _Death Note_'s ending theme.  
>I froze as Strify's confession ran through my head again. Damn, I really needed to get over that! It was nothing, right? It meant nothing to me.<br>_Liar_, whispered a little voice in the back of my head.  
>I stood up abruptly, startling Ai as I pulled my feet put from under her. Draping my blanket over my shoulders, I flashed a smile at them.<br>"Saya? Are you alright?" Ai asked as I turned to leave the room, "If you leave now, you're gonna miss _Bleach_."  
>Damn! Okay, I could withstand the discomfort for another half hour.<br>Hours later I was still awake, my eyes aching as I watched _Inuyasha_ and the sun rose outside the windows.  
>Fuji and Cho had returned shortly after <em>Bleach<em> ended, both surprisingly convivial. They waved off questions as they hurried to their room, laughing and trading teasing insults.  
><em>Inuyasha<em> ended and I turned off the TV before going to the kitchen to fix a mug of hot chocolate. Ai and Bachiko were still fast asleep when I returned, so I curled up at my end of the couch with my blanket and my mug before abandoning myself to my thoughts.  
>The boys were leaving today. It was hard to believe the more than a month had passed since I finally met my idols. Some of them were almost exactly as I had expected, but all of them had brought surprises. A part of me tugged at my conscience, demanding to know why I had been so cold toward my favorite, Strify.<br>A cold sensation on my cheek surprised me out of my thoughts. I brushed my hands cheeks, surprised to find a tear clinging to my fingertips when I brought them up to my eyes. It had been such a long time since I'd shed even a single tear, besides the night before. Was this really affecting me that badly?  
>"Saya?" Ai asked. I looked up at her; she was wide awake and watching me with concern.<br>I brushed at my eyes and smiled, but she didn't buy it. Without a word, she the half-full mug from me and set it on the table before scooting over and wrapping her arms around me. I didn't cry; I just buried my face into her shoulder.  
>"He really does care about you," she murmured after a moment, "More than the rest of them do, and more than he cares about the rest of us."<br>I lifted my head to shoot her watery glare. Pep talks belong in sporting events, not pity parties.  
>She gave a wry smile and hugged me again. I let it go and focused on calming down. We stayed like that until Bachiko began to stir, and then I left the room to shower and get ready to face the day.<p>

We met the boys at the airport. Seeing them standing there, luggage scattered around them, brought on a feeling similar to rejection-at least, what I expected rejection to feel like. I wasn't really the type to go out on a limb like that.  
>Ai hurried up to Yu and threw her arms around his shoulders. Their noses nearly touched as they whispered frantically back and forth, kisses interrupting their murmurs.<br>"I guess we can't call much, since it's so expensive, but..." I heard Shin trail off, "Can I send you emails?"  
>I turned to see Shin watching Bachiko with apprehension, as if he expected her to reject his offer. I rolled my eyes, knowing she'd agree before I even heard her quiet approval.<br>Looking around, I saw that Kiro and Cho had withdrawn to a corner. Even Fuji and Romeo were off in their own world. Romeo's glowing blue eyes were fixed on our drummer's face as if she was the only girl in the world. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that Strify and I were the only ones not conversing.  
>I turned to see him watching me. His expression hovered somewhere between amused and disappointed; the corner of his mouth quirked upward in a sort of halfhearted grin. I twisted the chain hanging around my neck, unable to hold still under his intense, focused gaze. It was almost a relief when he finally stepped forward, right into my personal space.<br>"Something about me bothers you, doesn't it?" he asked, his manner adorably straightforward.  
>I looked past him. I could feel my lips turning downward into a thoughtful frown as I watched a plane taxi from the runway.<br>"It's not that," I replied finally, "I think...I like you, and it scares me. I've always tried to stay away from things like that; it's messy and distracting.  
>He gave a low laugh. "You think too much," he told me, ruffling my hair (which Ai has wasted so much time to coax into being perfectly straight).<br>I batted his hand away and smiled, which seemed to please him.  
>"By the way," he added, "I'm sorry I acted the way I did in Tennessee. I was...jealous, I guess."<br>I raised an eyebrow. "Of a school?"  
>He blushed and looked away. "Shut up! If you leave and the band can't survive, how am I ever gonna see you again? Not to mention all the guys you could fall for there."<br>He was grumbling by the time he finished as his face was brighter than the sour cherries that used to grow on the tree in my backyard. On the other hand, I was grinning broadly as I watched him. Seeing that, a weak smile found its way onto his lips.  
>"I'm sorry for not letting you know sooner," I answered finally, feeling the need to offer my own apology.<br>Before I knew what he was doing he had stepped forward again and his arms were around me.  
>After overcoming my initial shock, I managed to free an arm and snake it around his waist. My hair shifted, and then I could feel his velvet-soft lips pressed against my temple.<br>"'M gonna miss you," he muttered, "Keep in touch, 'kay?"  
>I felt a piece of paper pressed into my hand before we parted. I looked at it as he stepped back. There was an email address and a phone number scrawled across the scrap in handwriting far better than my own.<br>All too soon they were boarding the plane, waving goodbye over their shoulders. The five of us lined up at the window, watching the airport personnel bustle around as their plane prepared to take off. We waited until the plane lifted off and watched until it had disappeared into the darkening sky.  
>"So," Ai began quietly as we all peeled ourselves away from the glass and the the bright orange light streaming through, "Everything good?"<br>I smiled at her, really smiled, for the first time in the the last couple weeks.  
>"Yeah. I think it is."<br>No one spoke again as we left the airport and Fuji drove us back to the apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**Another chapter done! And now, I have some requests:

1) I'm still hoping to get a few more votes on what boyXboy anime couple I should write about. At this point, Natsuo and Youji from _Loveless_ and Kurogane and Fai from _Tsubasa_are tied with one vote each. Please vote! The poll is on my profile.

2) I don't know if you've noticed, but...there are no reviews on this, and it's almost done (surprise?)...Just saying, it'd be nice to know if someone is enjoying it or not. But I'd be happy even if you just told me you've read it. Please? Suggestions and/or criticism would be more than welcome too.


	6. Je Ne Regrette Rien

**A/N:** I know, I know, this is late. Short too, but it was supposed to be mostly reflective and I can't really make up Strify's past...right?

* * *

>The feeling of weightlessness as the plane took off mirrored the levity in Strify's mood. He sat next to Shin, staring out the window with a silly grin on his face.<br>"You look like you just got lucky or something," Shin told him, frowning suspiciously and raising one eyebrow.  
>Strify gaped at the drummer, feeling blood rush to his cheeks. His jaw worked, but he couldn't seem to force any words out. Finally he squeaked out a hoarse laugh.<br>"I just...y'know..." he muttered uncomfortably, not sure he wanted Shin to see how much the new developments pleased him.  
>The blond smiled knowingly. "I told you she'd forgive you," he chided the singer playfully.<br>Strify pouted, thrusting his lower lip out more than necessary and furrowing his eyebrows. Shin grinned again and sat back, looking more smug than Strify would've liked.  
>"Took you long enough. You can be awfully catty, y'know?" Yu said suddenly, leading forward from the seat behind him.<br>Strify flushed again. "And you can be a real dog," he shot back, crossing his arms over his chest like a spoiled child.  
>"Guilty as charged," the guitarist replied, the grin evident in his voice, "but that's not what's going on with Ai."<br>The singer didn't reply; he just continued to pout. He fell into his own thoughts, ignoring the band around him. He was glad to be going home, but he'd miss the girls.  
>Ai and Kiro were the best shopping buddies he'd ever had, and as a group they'd had a lot of fun. Bachiko was unnecessarily violent, but she was the best source of comic relief he'd seen in a long time. Cho was really creative, and if he ever needed ideas for something, he'd ask her for ideas. Fuji was incredibly intelligent, but her sarcasm tended to put him off sometimes.<br>Then there was Saya. Her apathy made him curious, and he never knew what she was going to do next. Something about her closed-off personality suggested that she always knew more than she would tell. She was cute, mostly in personality, but the majority of it was manufactured cheer and fake smiles. Ai had told him once that she used to be much more open, but growing up had changed her in mostly negative ways.  
>In a way, she reminded him of himself.<br>He didn't like to talk about his past before Cinema Bizarre. Like Saya, anime had been a large part of his life. Meeting Yu and Kiro had been a sort of turning point for him.

As their plane finally landed in Berlin, he was smiling again. The jet lag was starting to get to him, but he could last long enough to get home. Before that though, there was one last thing he needed to do.  
>Pulling out his phone, he typed in Saya's email address and his message. A small smile played across his face as he read it over one last time before hitting "send."<br>_Let's meet again, okay? -Jack Strify_


	7. Erase and Replace

**A/N: **I know, this is short too...but it's the last chapter, and I'm proud of it anyway. Just so you know, most of the events mentioned that supposedly happened prior to the story (moves, family relations, etc.) are actual events.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you're going across the country just to go to college," Ai whined from the passenger seat as I nudged the accelerator of the Honda again. The car was as lazy as I was, but it was the car I'd grown up with and I couldn't imagine any other being mine. Ai and I had taken the car, filled with my luggage, while the others rode in Cho's jeep.<br>I shrugged, rubbing nervous circles into the navy steering wheel with my thumbs. I kept my eyes on the road-I'd never been comfortable with driving. Neither of us spoke for a moment.  
>"Do you think it's a mistake?" I asked finally, my voice small. My eyes flickered over to her, taking in her expression as she watched me. Her blue eyes were wide and serious with observation, but there was an amused curl to her lips. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I looked away again.<br>"No way. This is what you want to do, right? Besides music," she replied, sounding unusally understanding.  
>I smiled, a sense of relief permeating my tense mood. Ai turned up the music, drowning out our thoughts with David Bowie's smooth, deep voice.<br>_"Small Jean Genie snuck off to the city..."_  
>A few hours later we were back at Ai's house in our hometown. Standing in the front hall, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the sense of both nostalgia and belonging that swept over me. Cho, Bachiko, and Fuji had joined us, and we could hear Ai's parents and brother in the living room, laughing at whatever was on TV. We all exchanged a look; this was home.<br>"It's been a while, huh?" Bachiko asked quietly.  
>Cho and I nodded. There was something about standing in that familiar hallway, just the five of us, in our most casual clothes and messy hair, that made us realize just how much we'd been through over the course of a single summer.<br>About four years ago, I hadn't known Cho at all and I was just getting to know Bachiko. It was Cinema Bizarre that had brought us together. Memories began flashing through my mind, accompanied by songs that reminded me of milestones in our connected lives.  
><em>"Escape to the stars, feeling so free, just you and me..."<em>  
>Bachiko's messy basement room, and a "photo shoot" using the multitude of dresses that Bachiko never wore.<br>_"Come with me, take my hand, we'll show you what it's like..."_  
>Cho's bedroom in the middle of the night, barely lit by the light over the attic door as we all scribbled down ideas for our first song.<br>_"I hear sounds no one else does, cries of sorrow, cries of pain..."_  
>Ai's cold garage in the middle of winter, only the metal door separating us from the snow as Bachiko and I shared lyrics and the others adjusted equipment.<br>_"Wish I could shut my playboy mouth, how'd I turn my shirt inside out?"_  
>Ai's darkened basement, watching the video she and Bachiko had made with a friend of ours-the video that inspired our later PV for "Voices in My Head."<br>_"I would take a bullet to show my love..."_  
>My basement in the middle of the night, using the computer while Ai sat next to me using my laptop so we could both talk to our friends in Denmark, members of the band Clean Dust.<br>_"We're going back to summer, sun-kissed skin and late night movies..."_  
>Our apartment in Seattle, always buzzing with life and the hum of amps or fading notes.<p>

My chest ached and my throat felt tight as the weight of the time we'd spent together hit me. A part of me wanted to just say "let's go home and forget this college crap," but I knew I couldn't.  
>My phone vibrated just then, alerting me to the arrival of a new email. Swallowing my emotion, I slid the phone from my pocket and check the screen.<br>Let's meet again, okay? -Jack Strify I smiled to myself. Alright, I thought determinedly, I can make it through anything I put my mind to.

* * *

><p><strong>Songs used in this chapter:<strong>

_"Jean Genie" - David Bowie_

_"Escape to the Stars" - Cinema Bizarre_

_"Just Dance" - Lady Gaga_

_"Love Code" - Clean Dust_

and a few INK3D originals


	8. INTERVIEW

INTERVIEWER: So, I've heard you guys are from Idaho. What's it like there.  
>SAYA: Cold.<br>FUJI: Only in the winter. She just remembers that the most because it's what she hates most.  
>INTERVIEW: Well, I can't disagree with that. Is there something about that area that defines you?<br>BACHIKO: No. Unless you mean my room, which is kind of like Saya's messy brain.  
>AI: Messy? Your room is total chaos!<br>INTERVIEWER: *laughs* Is that how you'd describe her? Chaotic.  
>AI: More like idiotics.<br>INTERVIEWER: Really? What about the group; how would you sum yourselves up?  
>SAYA: Eh...I guess we just try to combine the elements we like in the things we see.<br>CHO: Monkey see, monkey do. Especially Saya-monkey.  
>INTERVIEWER: Oh? And how did you come up with your names and the name up the band?<br>AI: We actually based our names off an acronym and stuck an "S" on the end so there would be enough letters for all of us. Fuji actually just got stuck with hers though...  
>CHO: The band name was my idea.<br>BACHIKO: Yeah, she used to write it on our arms in Sharpie. That stuff's hard to get off!  
>AI: That's because it's permanent marker, idiot.<br>INTERVIEWER: Well, how does it feel to be in a proffesionally signed band?  
>FUJI: I think we're all still getting used to it...And it's kind of hard, because we're all trying to go to college. I hate to say it, but the band is more of a side thing.<br>AI: Especially since Saya goes so far away! *pouts*  
>INTERVIEWER: I'm sorry to hear that. What are your hopes for the future?<br>SAYA: Well, once we all finish up with school, we're planning to focus on our music. I don't think any of us could really live without it.  
>INTERVIEWER: Do you have anything else in your lives that's important to you? Maybe boyfriends?<br>AI: Well, we have boys who are friends...  
>BACHIKO: No, they're stalkers.<br>CHO: *clapping a hand over BACHIKO's mouth* Ignore her. Some people were dropped on their heads as babies, but as you can see, she was thrown at a wall.  
>BACHIKO: Mmn, m mzz nzzd bm zkmms!<br>INTERVIEWER: What was that?  
>SAYA: She says no, she was raised by squirrels.<br>INTERVIEWER: You understood that!  
>SAYA: It just takes time. I understand half-asleep and full-mouth too.<br>INTERVIEWER: Wow...Alright then. Well, we're running out of time, but I wanted to ask about the time you guys recently spent with Cinema Bizarre. We all know they were a big inspiration for you guys. What was it like to meet them?  
>SAYA: Chaotic.<br>FUJI: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.  
>AI: It was great though. We have a lot of the same interests and stuff like that, so we could talk about things like manga and different playing techniques.<br>INTERVIEWER: Nothing else? I mean, there was a lot of speculation about relationships. Are you telling me it was all the imagination of your fans.  
>CHO: Well, maybe not all imagination...<br>SAYA: I think all you could really say at this point is that we're close friends.  
>INTERVIEWER: Well I'd love to hear more about that, but it looks like we're out of time. Good luck with your career, and your, uh..."friendships." *waves at the camera*<br>INK3D: *waving at the camera* Bye, guys! Keep supporting us please! 


End file.
